Spatial and Applied Economics: Environmental Economics

The Environmental Economics specialisation dives into the economic aspects of local, regional, and global environmental challenges, the use and depletion of natural resources, and the role of market-based policies in promoting sustainable practices and technologies.

These issues are crucial for securing a sustainable future and tackling the effects of climate change. You'll explore how governments and societies can manage environmental quality, natural resources, and the energy transition effectively and responsibly. 

Some of the key questions you will explore include:  

• What policies are most effective in tackling pollution and other negative externalities of economic activity?  
• What defines the efficient use of renewable (like forestry and fishery) and non-renewable (like fossil fuels and minerals) resources, and how does that differ from free-market outcomes?  
• How do environmental policies stimulate innovation, and what is the role of technology policy in regulation?  
• How can climate policy avoid backfiring through effects such as ‘carbon leakage’, the ‘rebound effect’, or the ‘Green Paradox’? 

This master’s specialisation in Environmental Economics equips you with cutting-edge economic knowledge and tools to analyse and answer these questions, providing a solid foundation of evidence-based insights.